This is a meal I created for mother and her 3 old
college friends. Everything went great and they
think I should open a restaurant. I love to cook
and when I worked as a line cook at a restaurant I
got to write the specials and cook soups etc. To
me I was just doing it as a hobby. Some people
love to watch TV. I loved to hear and watch the
tickets pump out as things moved to a roaring
pace. I was basically like the head chef most
evenings except out of respect I would not call
myself a chef. Since many work for years to
become a chef. My question is without schooling
do you think I might be able to become one.
FIRST COURSES

Scallops Ceviche
Bay Scallops marinated in a lime watermelon broth
with minced jalapeno and chopped curley parsley -
garnished with thinly sliced acidulated vidalia
onion and a tiny sprinkle of american caviar

Raw Oyster on the tail of an absolute and lemon
shooter

Herb, spinach and roquefort tower with a white
balsamic syrup and fresh squeezed lemon

SECOND COURSES

Fried oyster atop roasted beets in endive -
dressed with a lobster oil vinagrette

Pan seared Sea Scallops atop a spicy carrot ginger
sauce and topped with a dollop of semi-sweet
cilantro cream

Sea Scallops poached in Lobster oil and garnished
with american caviar

THIRD COURSE

Homemade Ricotta Cornflour Gnocci in a thai
inspired curried Crab Bolognese

FOURTH COURSE

One side-seared Filet Mignon served with a rice
cake and three sauces, a spicy roasted garlic
vanilla cream sauce, frozen red wine and soy
reduction, and a sweet rstd beet syrup(w/dice of
rstd beets

Capteo,
Gourmet cooking & being a chef are two different worlds. There is a lot more than just cooking,it is a long process to become a chef. I suggest that you get a job in a proffesional kitchen and learn all you can. Take bussiness courses at the local comunity college.Try your hand at managment in the resturant field.Wait a few tables to see how the front of the house works.Then ask yourself if you still want to be a chef. GOOD LUCK!!!

Dear Chefrick or others
I have a double degree in finance and computer
animation plus an economics minor. I have worked
as a busboy, a host, a dishwasher, a prepper, a
prep cook, a bar back, waiter, and recently as
head line cook. I was wondering if the menu
sounded interesting enough to warrant me becoming
a chef. It is entirely created from my head and
not a single recipe was used to create this,
besides my knowledge of different cuisines,
techniques, and ingredients. As the head line
cook one of my specials was a grilled Blue Marlin
placed atop melted bok choy and a mushroom, potato
and fennel frond skillet cake garnished with a
shaved fennel and coriander seed balsamic slaw all
atop a roasted fennel and roasted red pepper cream
sauce (spiced with cayenne and sweetened with
white chocolate)
I like the business and I like other things too
but I'm worried that if I don't concentrate on
something specifically I will not be able to excel
at either cooking or

Dear Chefrick or others
I have a double degree in finance and computer
animation plus an economics minor. I have worked
as a busboy, a host, a dishwasher, a prepper, a
prep cook, a bar back, waiter, and recently as
head line cook. I was wondering if the menu
sounded interesting enough to warrant me becoming
a chef. It is entirely created from my head and
not a single recipe was used to create this,
besides my knowledge of different cuisines,
techniques, and ingredients. As the head line
cook one of my specials was a grilled Blue Marlin
placed atop melted bok choy and a mushroom, potato
and fennel frond skillet cake garnished with a
shaved fennel and coriander seed balsamic slaw all
atop a roasted fennel and roasted red pepper cream
sauce (spiced with cayenne and sweetened with
white chocolate)
I like the business and I like other things too
but I'm worried that if I don't concentrate on
something specifically I will not be able to excel
at either cooking or

Capteo,
Sounds like you have caught the bug! GO for it. You have a good base,but you might want to expand on your education,the paper trail is important. When I started out everyone wanted work experiance and didn't care about the degree,then things shifted and they wanted the degree,now they seem to want both. With your back ground and work expriance an assoc. degree would only take a few months to complete. In this bussiness you either have to be crazy,or crazy about it,and once it's in your blood you won't be happy doing anything else. Follow your dreams and you will do well!!!